The Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota

The Ralph Engelstad Arena is a fairly new facility that officially opened on October 5, 2001. The creation of the arena cost more than $104 million. Since opening its doors, the arena has played host to many big named entertainers and entertainment such as Tim McGraw, Dennis Miller, Stars on Ice and the Minnesota Wild.

But perhaps the arena's biggest attraction and the reason for its creation is the Fighting Sioux Hockey. In its initial season in the new arena, the attendance of the Fighting Sioux Hockey reached an all time high. Every ticket in the 11,500+ seating capacity for the arena was sold out in just 43 minutes after the single game tickets went on sale. The building was designed in keeping with the strong traditions of the University of Dakota and its Sioux Fighting Hockey kept in mind. UND's tradition is highlighted in the lobby entrance which houses the National Championship trophies as well as memorabilia's of former greats.

Often said to be one of the the finest facility of the its kind in the world, "The Ralph" boasts of 48 luxury suites, 2 huge club rooms featuring the longest freestanding the bars in the state. There's also the 10,000 square feet training room which has a weight room, an underwater treadmill, fourteen locker rooms, and an extra olympic sheet of ice.

Ralph Engelstad Arena Quick Facts:

Hockey seating capacity: 11,640

Basketball seating capacity: 12,119

Concert seating: 13,154

Luxury Suites: 50 (48 full, 2 mini)

Club Seats: 264

2,200 Logos

300 Television Sets

4,000 tons of Steel

3.2 Miles of Brass Accents on the floor

1.1 Million Bricks

$110+ Million Dollar Facility with the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center

Ralph Engelstad Arena Luxury Suite

According to theRalph.com the luxury suites at Ralph Engelstad Arena offers the best in customer service and entertainment opportunities in the Midwest. These luxury suites provides excellent sight lines, an exclusive VIP entrance, concierge staff and fully furnished lounge area. If you have the money and are looking for a wonderful way to watch an event then you should try out these finely appointed luxury suites. A Ralph Engelstad Arena Luxury Suite is designed to be a great place to host family, friends, and clients.

The Fighting Sioux are now the North Dakota Fighting Hawks

The University of North Dakota (UND) used Fighting Sioux as its nickname, but dropped the nickname under pressure from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The ice hockey team is now registered as the Fighting Hawks, a name that was chosen by the University on November 18, 2015. The North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team (UND) is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. North Dakota is considered one of the premier college hockey programs in the country, and are regarded as one of the most powerful, successful, and storied college hockey programs in NCAA history. UND has made over 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament, appeared in the Frozen Four 22 times, and have won 8 NCAA Division I Championships. They have also won 16 WCHA Regular Season Championships, and 10 WCHA Tournament Championships. To learn more about the Fighting Hawks we recommend you to visit undsports.com.